MUNCIE, Ind. — The Ball State football team was having a meeting earlier this week in the Scheumann Family Team Meeting Room when Jason Whitlock unexpectedly called in via Facetime.

And he had a big surprise for a current Ball State football player.

Whitlock, a former Ball State player himself and the current host of Speak for Yourself on FS1, was a special guest to award Cody Rudy a scholarship.

Last week he visited the team for several days while on vacation, along with former player Dante Love. On this night, though, he detailed how when he played for the Cardinals, some of the best players weren't on scholarship or were initially considered more of an afterthought.

Whitlock spoke of Bernie Parmalee, the team's last recruit in 1987 who went on to play nine seasons in the NFL. He spoke of Eugene Riley, the team's last recruit in 1985 who played two seasons in the NFL. And of Blaine Bishop, whom Whitlock called "the greatest player probably in Ball State history." Bishop was a walk-on who wound up being a four-time Pro Bowler.

"And (Bishop) reminds me — this is going to blow your mind when I say this of who he reminds me of — but he reminds me of Cody Rudy, a guy who walked on and has proven he is worthy of a scholarship..."

Whatever Whitlock said next is a mystery, because the players started screaming and crowding around Rudy, the 5-foot-11, 244-pound redshirt sophomore fullback. They began chanting, "Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!"

Ball State and other college teams sometimes reward walk-ons with scholarships when they have an open one. Head coach Mike Neu did this last year with Yorktown graduate Riley Miller, surprising him at practice.

Rudy was a two-time All-State selection at linebacker for Shenandoah before switching to fullback at Ball State. He redshirted in 2016 before playing in 11 games as a redshirt freshman at fullback and special teams.

Rudy was accidentally shot in May and had to be taken to the Henry County Hospital, and was later flown by medical helicopter to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. He has been practicing in full with the Cardinals in training camp, though.